The Miller Brothers
by lolainslackss
Summary: Alone in Chicago, Jessica Day meets Nate Miller and is instantly smitten. Soon enough she also meets his twin, Nick Miller, who is equally cute but very different. What's a girl to do? AU.
1. Coffee Shop Soundtrack

**The Miller Brothers**

 **Chapter One / Coffee Shop Soundtrack**

 _February 13 / Chicago, Illinois._

It was snowing outside. It had been snowing outside for a while. In fact, it had been snowing when she had left the airport and it hadn't stopped since then. She should have known. Chicago had actual Winters. Serious, legitimate _Winters_. It had I'm-wearing-three-sweaters-and-two-pairs-of-socks-and-I'm-still-cold kind of Winters. Chicago was no Los Angeles, that was for sure. She should really buy a scarf. A cute one. With pom-poms.

Jess stirred her herbal tea and breathed in the pepperminty steam that snaked up from the cup. She took a bite of her Danish pastry. Chocolate oozed into her mouth. It was delicious. Jess looked out of the fogged-up window. Outside the snow was still falling. Jess was all alone in Chicago. Four days ago she had boarded a plane in L.A., and in another four days she would start her new job as a Vice Principal at a local school. It also happened to be her birthday. Jess had never spent a birthday alone. Thinking about it made her feel blue. Lonely. She frowned.

Luckily, some sort of strange magic was at work. At that moment, _Blackbird_ by the Beatles started playing. It was her favourite song in the whole world. As the song played, she smiled to herself and took a sip of her tea. It was just as delicious as the pastry. Jess sighed happily. Herbal tea, chocolate pastry, _Blackbird,_ snow falling. It was almost a perfect birthday moment. She just wished she had someone to share the moment with.

Jess pulled her laptop out from her satchel and flipped it open. She opened up Skype, entered her password and called Cece. After a few seconds, Schmidt's face filled her screen.

"Schmidt, hey!" She waved, greeting her best friend's fiancée. She had been living with Cece and Schmidt in L.A. - and while living with a couple who were planning their wedding was difficult at times - she missed them more than she could handle. She especially missed them when she had entered her tiny one-bedroom Chicago apartment for the first time. She nearly cried. In fact, she did cry. For about an hour.

"Jessica. Happy Birthday. How is life in the Windy City?" Schmidt asked. He looked tired. Jess felt bad – she was Cece's maid of honour so she was supposed to help with the wedding planning. She felt guilty leaving them to it. Schmidt didn't really have many guy friends and Cece's model friends were useless at organisation. They just didn't know how to go about hosting a group crafting session the same was Jess did. The bachelorette party was sure going to suffer because of that.

"It's okay. You know, The Beatles just started playing and it's snowing outside and it's really cosy and I felt like I was having a perfect birthday moment and I decided to share it with you and Cece. Is she there?" Jess asked.

"The Beatles? How quaint. No, Cece is not here. She is out looking at wedding dresses for the fiftieth time this week." Schmidt said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, well, how are you doing?" Jess asked. She had been sceptical when Cece had started dating Schmidt – even more so when they announced their engagement – but she had to admit he was a pretty good guy. Weirdly, he had pretended to be a male model in order to get Cece to date him in the first place. It was an elaborate plan that neither Jess nor Cece fell for, but it worked in the end. Cece had been Schmidt's from the moment they had shared their first drunken kiss. Jess had never seen her best friend so in love. It was equal parts lovely and sickening.

"Terribly. Jess, we are falling apart without you here. Why did you have to move away?" Schmidt asked, the hint of a whine in his voice.

"Because I was offered a very cosy position at one of the best schools in Chicago, remember? It was you who convinced me to go, Schmidt. Remember your rap? _Money money money_?" Jess reminded him pointedly.

"I don't really recall," Schmidt shook his head.

"It was all, 'Yo. Money is all that matters. Money, money, money' and then it was all, 'Monet is my favourite painter. Monet, Monet, Monet'? You don't remember that? That was some of your finest work, pal." Jess teased.

"Well I take it all back. Staying in L.A. with your friends who desperately need you is all that matters. And Monet is certainly not my favourite painter." Schmidt snapped.

"I can't believe I'm in Chicago," Jess said, "I can't believe I have to spend my birthday by myself. What do you think I should do, Schmidt?"

"Go out and get drunk?" Schmidt suggested flippantly, "Hook up with a stranger? Why not? You're single. Single in one of the unsexiest cities in America, but single."

"I do feel like sharing this with someone. Being alone on my birthday is just too depressing." Jess muttered, sipping her tea.

"Well, where are you? A coffee shop?" Schmidt asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah?" Jess replied.

"Then go talk to someone. I bet there's a gentleman in a ski jacket sitting at a table somewhere who would be just delighted to buy a girl like you some birthday treats." Schmidt suggested.

"Like some birthday wine?" Jess said, nodding. She had to admit – Schmidt talked a lot of sense sometimes.

"You bet," Schmidt said, "Go find him. Pass the parcel, untie the ribbon. Blow out his candles and make a damn wish."

"I'm not sure what we're talking about anymore-" Jess replied, confused.

"Just go have sex, Jessica Day. Go have sex. It's not every day you get to be the hot new girl in a new city. That persona works for you. Exploit it." Schmidt explained.

"Right. Yeah. I can do that. I can get mine. _I'm new to the city and I'm lost. Can you show me where we are on this...public map?_ " Jess said in her sexiest voice.

"No. Not like that," Schmidt scolded, frowning. "Workshop it a little and try again."

"Will do, boss," Jess said, giving Schmidt a little salute, "Now I should probably go because I am saying crazy stuff. I don't want people to start thinking I'm the hot new weirdo in the city. Thanks for the pep talk, though. And tell Cece to call me."

"Okay, Jess. Now, remember," Schmidt dropped his voice to a whisper, " _Blow out his candles_."

"Bye," Jess said firmly, hitting the button to disconnect the call. She closed her laptop and scanned the coffee shop.

To her surprise, someone was already looking at her.

In the corner, a guy caught her gaze with his own. He looked about her age. He was smartly dressed, with tousled brown hair and the cutest nose Jess had ever seen. _I wanna grab that nose off his face and wear it as a brooch_ , she thought. He smirked and redirected his focus on his book. Jess didn't even think about it. She stood up and made her way over to his table.

"Hey, I'm Jess," She greeted him, giving a small bow and immediately regretting it.

"I'm Nate. Nathan. Nathan Miller." The guy introduced himself. Jess stole a glance at his book.

"Henry Miller. Very fancy." Jess commented.

"Well, I only read writers who have the same name as me, so." Nate shrugged, teasing.

"It's my birthday," Jess said, smoothing down the front of her dress. It was covered in flaky pastry crumbs. She cringed., and continued "The big thirty-one. That's me. I've lived in Chicago for three days. I'm starting a new job here. It's super weird. It snows here so much. I'm gonna have to buy myself a snow plough. Everyone here should drive snow ploughs, am I right?"

Nate regarded her with an amused expression.

"Sorry for babbling. I'm not very good at talking to strangers. I'm, um, I'm Jessica Day. Nice to meet you, Nate. Sorry if I freaked you out." Jess went on, moving backwards.

"Not me. Henry is a bit scared though," Nate smiled. He sipped his cappuccino, dusting his upper lip with chocolate powder. Jess couldn't help notice his eyes were the same, rich, dark, brown colour. She smiled. _He is smoking hot,_ she thought. She took the opportunity to sit down.

"So what's the new job, birthday girl?" He asked, putting his book down and leaning forwards towards her.

"I'm going to be a Vice Principal, actually. I- I used to teach English in Los Angeles, so, yeah. This whole thing is going to be a bit different. In many, many ways." Jess said. His gaze was so intense. She felt her cheeks flush as she tucked her hair behind her ears. She had a red flower clip in her hair. She always dressed up for her birthday. She wondered if he thought it was too much.

"Chicago is great," Nate continued, "I've lived here my whole life."

"Really?" Jess asked, "What do you do? Tell me more about you."

"I'm actually a Chemistry lecturer at the University," Nate said, nodding, "I'm also a twin. He's a weirdo, so don't worry – I'm used to it. I like the Bulls. I like books. I like the snow. I like girls with blue eyes."

"I- I have blue eyes." Jess said, exhaling slowly. _Damn Schmidt_ , she thought, _now I'm falling in love and acting stupid_.

"So it's your birthday?" Nate asked, drinking the last of his cappuccino, "You got plans?"

"Well, I just moved here, so unless I want to have a hot night unpacking dresses and scrapbooks, I am plan-free." Jess smiled.

"Let's go," Nate said, standing.

"Where are we going?" Jess asked, also rising from the table.

"My brother's bar. I'll get you a birthday drink." Nate said, running a hand through his hair.

"That sounds great - let me get my stuff." Jess said, walking over to her table to retrieve her bag.

Jess watched Nate wait for her by the door. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Maybe she had gotten more than she'd bargained for – a hot guy who dressed smartly and read books and was a _University lecturer_? It was a birthday treat, all right. She grinned to herself as she walked towards Nate Miller.

As they walked together through the snow, he reached for her hand and she didn't pull away.

…

The snowy tavern certainly had character. Jess looked up at its name: _The Wee Dram_. Multi-coloured fairy lights encircled the huge letters. Nate opened the huge wooden door for her to step inside. In the corner, an open fire was crackling and lighting the relatively dark interior with a warm, orange glow. Deer antlers adorned the walls and tartan bunting hung from the wooden beams that crossed the ceiling.

"A Scottish pub?" Jess asked Nate.

Nate nodded and walked up to the bar. Sure enough – there was his twin. The twin watched Nate and Jess approach the bar. He was wearing a red, plaid shirt and was lazily polishing a glass. Jess eyed him shyly. She didn't really know any twins, although she used to wish she had one (maybe that way, they could have taken Abby down together).

"Jess, this is my brother Nicky." Nate said, as he shook his brother's hand in a friendly, familiar way.

"It's just Nick," Nick said, shrugging.

Nick looked at Jess, his eyes lingering on hers for a second. Jess took a moment to notice the differences between the two brothers. Nick's hair was a little bit shorter than Nate's, and where Nate was clean-shaven, Nick was sporting some stubble. Apart from that, though, they were identical. Although Nick seemed to carry himself differently, almost. He didn't stand up straight. He stood a little uncertainly. He wasn't as animated or as confident as Nate. His brown eyes looked a little weary.

"This is Jess – she's new to the city, just moved here from Los Angeles. I thought we should take care of her, seeing as it's her birthday and all." Nate told Nick.

"Happy Birthday," Nick said politely, "What can I get you?"

"Well," Jess said, looking at the mass of bottles behind Nick's head, "Since we're in a Scottish pub, I might as well try a Scotch."

"Nick's got a _lot_ of Scotch behind there," Nate said, grinning. He motioned for Jess to join him on the bar stools. She sat.

"Scotch isn't your drink," Nick said, watching Jess carefully, "I'll tell you what -I'll make you something special, just this once."

Nick popped the cap off a bottled beer and handed it to Nate and then went about making a cocktail for Jess.

"So which one of you is the older twin?" Jess asked.

"Me, naturally. That's probably why I'm the handsome one," Nate teased.

"It was like two minutes, dude." Nick said, shaking his head and laughing.

"Two minutes is all that matters, little brother," Nate said, "At least you got the creativity genes."

"Creativity?" Jess repeated, her eyes widening.

"Nicky's a writer." Nate told her.

"You are?" Jess asked, shocked, "I studied Literature! If you want me to read your stuff, I'd be happy to."

"I don't really show anybody my stuff," Nick said, shaking his head, "But thanks for the offer."

"Maybe we should take a Creative Writing class!" Jess exclaimed, "That's just what you need – you can get your work peer reviewed. It'd be fun. I have no friends here so my diary is free for the next like, however many years. Why don't we do that?"

"I'll think about it," Nick said, taken aback by her enthusiasm.

"Yes, please, think about it." Jess insisted, confident it was a great idea. Nate started smiling and slid his foot against her own beneath the bar. She straightened in her seat before returning the nudge, feeling mischievous.

Nick slid a tall glass full of pink liquid toward her.

"What is it?" Jess asked curiously.

"It's a Jess. Specially created for your birthday." Nick replied.

"Cheers," Nate said, lifting his bottle to meet her glass.

"To new beginnings," Jess said, clinking her glass against his.

"To you, Jessica Day," Nate said, smiling at her.

Jess took a tentative sip of the drink. It was wonderful - it tasted like raspberries and cranberries and grapefruit. _And is that rum?_ Jess wondered, as the sharp hit of alcohol reached the back of her tongue.

"That's _so_ good," Jess said, "I could drink a dozen of these. I could drink a barrel of this stuff. If this drink were a dude, I would marry it."

Nick laughed and looked down toward the bar shyly.

"I'm going to head to the bathroom," Nate said, standing up, "Look after my girl, Nicky."

Jess felt herself blush. _His girl_? She smiled, the first flush of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Nate wandered toward the bathroom, leaving Nick and Jess alone. Jess eyed the jukebox and wondered whether to go look through the songs while Nate was away.

"Your brother is super nice," Jess said finally.

"Yeah, he's everyone's favourite." Nick replied, wiping the bar with a cloth.

"How long have you been a bartender?" Jess asked.

"A while," Nick responded, "How long did you live in L.A.? I've always wanted to live there – get away from all this damn snow."

"This damn snow? You sound like an old man," Jess said, laughing lightly, "What are you talking about? The snow is magical."

"Magical?" Nick repeated, amused, "You're easily impressed."

"Well, I like it," Jess said shrugging, "I lived in L.A. For years. My best friend and I moved there together. She's a model. She's engaged right now. She's like, gorgeous. Our whole life, she got all the attention and now she's getting married. Meanwhile, old Jessica Day over here is like, probably going to die alone."

 _Nice going, Jess_ , she thought, _that's enough babbling for one day_.

"I'm sure that's not true. I'm sure you're a catch. I mean, you must be if Nate's interested in you. He never brings girls over here to meet me." Nick said, leaning on the bar. Jess warmed at his words. _Never?_

"I think he's just being nice to me because it's my birthday." Jess said, adjusting the flower clip in her hair.

"I like your flower." Nick said, nodding at the accessory.

"It's not too much?" Jess asked.

Nick shook his head. Jess blinked. He really did look so much like his brother.

"Want to wear it?" Jess blurted out. Nick snorted.

"Are you serious?" Nick asked.

"Yeah? It's my birthday." Jess said with a grin, "Do it, Nick Miller."

"This is just because my brother thinks you're cute, okay?" Nick said, gently removing the red flower from Jess's hair. His fingers grazed her bangs and she smiled lightly. Nick attached the clip to his head. He looked ridiculous. Jess told him so.

Nick shrugged and handed it back to her.

Nate returned from the bathroom and reclaimed his seat.

"What'd I miss?" Nate asked, picking up his beer.

"Not much," Jess said, "Thanks for adopting me in my hour of need, guys. I think I would have cried if I had to spend my birthday alone."

"No problem," Nate said, motioning to Nick to grab them each another drink.

As Nick busied himself behind the bar, Jess excused herself to go to the bathroom.

She looked at herself in the mirror and then washed her hands. Unable to control her excitement any further, she pulled out her cell-phone and dialled Cece's number.

"Jess!" Cece answered, "I was just about to call you! Happy Birthday!"

"Cece!" Jess responded, "I am having the best day already. Tell Schmidt he's a genius!"

"What are you up to, you weirdo?" Cece asked curiously.

"It all started when _Blackbird_ started playing." Jess began.

"Oh boy," Cece muttered.

"I walked up to a guy in a coffee shop. He was wearing a blazer and drinking a cappuccino and reading Henry Miller and it turns out he's a Chemistry lecturer at the University," Jess said excitedly, "And now, I am in a Scottish pub in beautiful, snowy Chicago. I am drinking a cocktail that was named after me and I am sitting with the guy and his twin."

"Twin?" Cece repeated.

"Yes," Jess breathed, "Yes. Twin. And Cece?"

"What?"

"It might be the alcohol talking, but I think I am totally in love with both of them."

"Uh-oh."

"Big, big uh-oh."


	2. Chemistry

**The Miller Brothers**

 **Chapter Two / Chemistry**

 **Chemistry** (noun) – 1. the branch of science concerned with the substances of which matter is composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions, and the use of such reactions to form new substances

2 – the complex emotional or psychological interaction between people

 _March 13 / Chicago, Illinois._

"Nate, I should really go shower," Jess managed between giggles.

Nate pulled her back into bed and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed into his body – it was familiar now: warm and sturdy. Hard. She ran her fingers up and down his arms and then she turned to face him. His eyes flickered open. Brown eyes like molten chocolate, caramel-flecked. Deep and dark.

So it had been a month of total contentment. She and Nate had started dating exclusively. She sat in on his lectures occasionally - listened to him speak passionately about chemical reactions, crack a joke or two, scrawl on the chalkboard. His students liked him a lot. In Chicago, the snow still lingered. They cosied up inside. She went to work, she met him for dinner, they took to his bed. Their sex was easy, slow, unhurried. She came every time - he was considerate like that.

It turned out that Nate and Nick lived together in a tiny two-bedroom apartment above _The Wee Dram_. The three of them would sometimes hang out – they would watch movies or play video games or just drink beer and talk about dumb stuff. Sometimes, Nick's best friend, Winston, would come over to hang out. Jess really liked Winston, although he got super pissed every time she beat him at Mario Kart. What could she say? Luigi was the way to go.

Sometimes, when Jess would sit across from Nick at breakfast, she had to laugh at herself. What had she said to Cece on her birthday, just a month ago? "I think I am totally in love with both of them"? That had definitely been her special cocktail talking. Nick was too spiky, too complicated. She couldn't figure him out. He was like a Rubik's Cube – a frustratingly attractive Rubik's Cube. She was tempted to ask Nate to grow out his stubble, but figured he'd probably know where she'd gotten the idea and assume she had the hots for his twin. Which she kind of did – after all, they were _twins_.

But no. Nick was tricksy. First off, he was grumpy more often than not. She could never figure out what triggered his funky moods. He never talked about his feelings, which brought her to the second thing – he was oddly over-emotional for someone who never really opened up or showed much sensitivity. He had actually cried more than she had when they had watched _The Lion King._ When she had shown him a picture of a baby deer, he had grinned goofily until he noticed her noticing him and adopted a stony, unimpressed expression. Thirdly, _weirdo_. That was Nick. Such a weirdo. She had caught him building a table in his room. The twins already had a table. He told her that he was going to sell 'bespoke' wooden furniture. She had laughed in his face. He had laughed in hers when he sold said table for forty dollars. Incidentally, that must have been enough for him to retire because she hadn't seen him with a tool in his hand since. _Weirdo._

"I think I'm totally in love with both of them"? As if. Nate was her man. He was funny and charming and considerate. He was smart – almost _too_ smart. In fact, she sometimes thought he was even too smart for her. He never really laughed at her dumb jokes or played along with her bits. He'd grant her an amused expression, sure, but she worried he was just humouring her. _Maybe I should work on developing a more sophisticated sense of humour_ , she thought, _like in Mad Men_.

She brushed her fingers lightly against the soft fuzz of his arm hair. He was snoozing again. She nudged him. He had office hours on Saturday mornings.

"We should get up, Nate," Jess breathed lightly against his neck. _He would look so much sexier with a hint of stubble_ , she thought, _he just would_.

"You go first," Nate muttered sleepily. _That_ , at least, was something the Miller brothers shared: they were not great morning people. They were hardly ever ready before noon. Nate had only one 9AM lecture per week and it almost always broke him for the rest of the day.

Jess pulled on one of Nate's shirts (or was it Nick's? Nick was more into flannel) and headed for the bathroom. Expecting Nick to be at the bar (he always worked on Saturdays), Jess actually screamed when she saw him eating cereal at the breakfast bar.

His eyes landed at first on the shirt and then they drifted toward her bare legs for a second before he actively stopped himself and focused (a little too intensely) on her face.

"Sorry, man," Jess said apologetically, "I figured you'd be at work. Uh. Well. This is weird, isn't it? Ignore the pins, governor."

"The _pins_? You move to the fifties or something?" Nick said, scrunching up his face and frowning.

"I _wish,_ " Jess said wistfully.

"Weirdo." Nick muttered, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Bigger weirdo." Jess shot back.

Nate wandered out of his room, stretching. He settled his hand on Jess's shoulder.

"You showered already?" Nate asked, yawning.

"Nope. Not yet." Jess said.

"Mind if I go first?" Nate said sleepily, "Or better yet, you could come with me."

Nick made vomiting noises into his cereal.

"It's all yours, Mr. Miller," Jess said, "You'd just be late if I distracted you."

"Gross." Nick muttered.

"Don't be jealous, little brother," Nate said to Nick, "One day you'll find someone. Promise."

"Thanks for that," Nick said drily.

"What are you doing today? You score a weekend off or something?" Nate asked, reaching for his towel.

"Pretty much," Nick shrugged.

"Well, I got office hours this afternoon, so why don't you take care of our girl here?" Nate suggested.

Jess blinked, surprised at the suggestion. She and Nick rarely hung out on their own. She had no idea what they would even do for the day.

"Sure, whatever," Nick said, pushing his bowl aside.

"Are you sure?" Jess asked, feeling a little bit awkward, "I don't want to cramp your style, Nick."

"Impossible," Nate said, making his way to the bathroom, "If anything, you'd improve it."

…

Jessica Day walked through Nate's bedroom door and into the kitchen and Nick nearly choked on his cereal.

For one thing – that was his shirt. He had told Nate a million and one times that it was his shirt. _His_.

Number two – that was _all_ she was wearing and damn it. Damn it.

He felt himself go hard.

He tried not to let himself feel bad about it. He had gotten hard-ons over weirder things before. Once, he had watched one of Winnie's girlfriends kneading dough to make bread and had gotten one (it was stringy, stringy dough – so pliable, so flexible). _That_ had been weird. This - this was normal. It was a normal, healthy response to seeing a beautiful woman in his kitchen. A normal, healthy response to seeing his brother's girlfriend wearing nothing but his shirt. _You are the worst, Miller,_ he told himself.

He had to admit - she was the kind of pretty that could blow someone away. Soft, blue, doe eyes and long, dark silky hair. Nate rarely brought girls to the bar – so Nick knew this girl was different. She was different. She wasn't Nate's type at all. He liked them smart, and while Jess was definitely smart, she was also goofy - and Nate didn't do goofy. His girlfriends were usually sensible and sarcastic. Jess was sweet and silly. That said, Jess certainly wasn't _his_ type either. He'd said it before and he'd say it a million times: he was exclusively into bad girls. He liked girls who were mean to him. He liked girls who broke his heart and downed a shot of bourbon while doing it. There's no way he could like a girl like Jess. It would be too warm, like a bubble bath that never went cold.

Nate emerged from his room and spouted some nonsense about babysitting Jess for the day. Nick had to admit – he was happy Nate had suggested it. He got restless spending time alone. Jess had also flippantly mentioned something about joining a Creative Writing group that he secretly hoped she hadn't forgotten. He couldn't do something like that by himself – he'd choke. No, he needed Jess.

Jess tucked her hair behind her ears and regarded him thoughtfully. His shirt looked good on her, he had to say. He waited until Nate was finished up and Jess had set up camp in the shower before dumping his bowl in the sink.

Nick headed to his room. He had three distinct yet related thoughts. One - he still had a hard-on over his brother's girlfriend. Two - now he was fantasising about her. And three - this was a road that would surely lead to ruin.

…

"So," Nick said, "Pizza?"

"Sure," Jess shrugged.

She breathed in the crisp Chicago air as they passed _The Wee Dram_ and tucked her hands in her pockets. Even with her mittens on, the tips of her fingers felt numb. She took a moment to miss the Los Angeles sunshine.

"This place does the best pizza," Nick was saying, "You like pepperoni? You like cheese? You like a little ham and pineapple? _Yuck_. Blech. I don't. But you gotta go for deep dish or - for real - you get kicked out of Chicago. Just kidding. But seriously, I _will_ judge you harshly. Not really. But yeah, really. So like I said, this place does the best pizza."

Jess wondered how long one man could talk about pizza.

They took a window seat – Jess always thought pointing out interesting people and places from the window seat was a good way of starting conversations on first dates. Not that this was a first date. It wasn't. The same kind of rules applied though, Jess thought.

"So what do you fancy?" Nick asked, handing Jess a menu.

"I actually really want something sweet," Jess said, glancing at the menu, "Does this place do good desserts?"

"That depends. What kind of dessert do you like?" Nick asked, inspecting his own menu.

"I don't know. All kinds." Jess shrugged.

"Well, what's your favourite?" Nick turned to face her.

"Probably cupcakes or smiley face cookies or maybe something British like trifle or custard or Spotted Dick." Jess answered happily.

"Spotted Dick?" Nick repeated, scowling, "Okay, first, that's not a thing. And _cupcakes_? That's not a dessert, Jess. That's a snack food."

"I have cupcakes for dessert all the time." Jess insisted.

"Well I always eat cupcakes at snack time." Nick said.

"Snack time? Are you five years old, Nick?" Jess replied, rolling her eyes.

"Cupcakes aren't dessert," Nick went on, "They just aren't."

"Fine," Jess conceded, "Well, what's your favourite dessert?"

"Tiramisu." Nick said, enunciating every syllable as if it were the most sacred word on the planet.

"Why?" Jess asked.

"It's everything I enjoy in life. It's booze and it's coffee. It's sweet and decadent and dangerous. It's dirty and sexy." Nick explained passionately.

"Wow. You have a lot of feelings about tiramisu." Jess said, laughing.

"It is what it is," Nick said, smiling. He turned his attention back to the menu as the waitress approached.

"What can I get you?" The waitress asked, pulling a pad and pencil from her pocket.

"I'll get a slice of pepperoni and a slice of barbecue chicken," Nick paused, "And a- uh- a beer? I can get a beer at noon, right? That's allowed? It's the afternoon. It's a Saturday. Yeah. I'll have a beer. Please."

"You got it," The waitress replied, raising an eyebrow as she scribbled the order on the notepad, "And for yourself?"

"I will have a- let's see-" Jess pursed her lips, "I will have a tiramisu, please. And a water. And also a beer. Thank you."

Nick and Jess both looked ahead, out of the window, as the waitress walked away. They caught each other's gaze in the glass and both smirked before looking away.

…

"You're right. I admit. This is the food of the god's." Jess said, spooning the last of her tiramisu into her mouth and washing it down with a glug of beer.

"Told you," Nick nodded his head, "What do you want to do after this?"

"Wow, I don't know," Jess replied, looking out into the busy street, "Why don't we do something...different? Something neither of us have done before?"

"Like...parachuting?" Nick asked, finishing his beer.

"No," Jess replied.

"Race car driving? Apple picking? Art heist? Pirate ship? Mars?" Nick continued.

Jess continued looking out the window. Her eyes were drawn to a neon sign that read _Fortune Telling_ with a flashing arrow pointing up a set of stairs.

"What about that?" Jess suggested excitedly, "Hey, Nick! Fortune telling!"

"Fortune telling?" Nick groaned, "I think pirate ship is more plausible."

"Let's go," Jess said, throwing down a note to cover the bill and heading for the door.

Nick had no choice but to follow her, though he felt the beer had gone to her head. They made their way across the street towards the staircase.

"Fortune telling is a load of nonsense," Nick said as he caught up with Jess, "I don't think you actually believe in this dumb psychic stuff, Jess."

"You believe in _aliens_ , Nick." Jess reminded him, raising her eyebrows.

"Nate _saw_ them come through the window and take me." Nick snapped.

"Nate was _messing_ with you, you big goof." Jess replied.

"You're the goof you big goof." Nick muttered.

"And just so you know I don't think this 'dumb psychic stuff' is actually real," Jess explained, "The point of it is to see what they make you think of, you know? It's supposed to be... _fun_ , Nick."

"No! I don't need some spooky old lady telling me that I'm going to die next Tuesday," Nick yelled, "It just isn't happening."

"You're scared she'll tell you that you're going to _die_?" Jess repeated. "What are you going to die _from_ , Nick? Aliens again?"

"Maybe," Nick snapped, folding his arms, "That and I've always wondered whether my liver is actually working or not."

"Well, let's find out, Miller," Jess said, making her way up the stairs.

"No! Don't go up there alone!" Nick called after her, "Jess! Jess! Jessica!"

…

Nick eventually followed Jess up the stairs and found himself walking through a curtain of turquoise beads into a dark, circular room that sounded like chimes and smelled like smoke and cinnamon. Jess was already sitting opposite one of the scariest ladies he'd ever seen. He frowned and tried to back away slowly.

"Nicholas Miller," The fortune teller said in a soft drawl, extending a hand, "I have heard a lot about you from the spirit world."

" _What_?" Nick shouted, his eyes widening.

Her eyes pinned him against the wall for a second, and then she cackled.

"You were right," The fortune teller said to Jess, "That was fun."

"Sit down, Nick," Jess turned to look at him.

"So," The fortune teller said in a quiet, still voice, "Would you prefer me to read your hands or your cards?"

"How much is cards?" Nick asked.

"Twenty dollars each." The fortune teller replied drily.

"And hands?" Jess asked.

"Ten dollars each." The fortune teller answered.

Nick and Jess exchanged a look before they said, 'Hands' at the exact same time. When the fortune teller raised her eyebrows, they each handed over ten dollars. The fortune teller tucked the notes into her shawl.

The fortune teller regarded them curiously for a moment, then inhaled sharply.

"Perhaps we should do this separately." She said evenly, motioning towards the 'Private' room behind her.

"T-together or not at all," Nick said in a whisper as he reached for Jess's arm, terrified.

"Very well," The fortune teller nodded, "Together. Give me your hand, Jessica."

Jess upturned her palm and slowly offered it to the fortune teller. The woman took Jess's hand firmly and ran a thumb across the lines there.

"Your positive energy will secure you eventual happiness, there is no doubt about that," the fortune teller said in a bored voice, "But right now, I sense you are torn. Yes, you are definitely conflicted. I see. You are unable to choose between places. You are unable to choose between people. I sense you must make some difficult decisions soon."

"Oh," Jess replied, drawing back her hand. She swallowed. _Difficult decisions_? What did that mean?

The fortune teller then reached out and took Nick's hand, much to his discomfort. She inspected it and smiled immediately.

"You, however, know _exactly_ what you want," She said, her eyes still on his palm, "You just don't know how to go after it. One day, you will know. That is certain. Now, what's this? There is someone in your life – someone who you love, but who makes you feel inferior. You look up to this person, but you feel like you are caught in their shadow."

Jess looked over at Nick, wondering how he would respond to what had been said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Nick said, rolling his eyes, "Just tell me how long I've got to live, lady."

The fortune teller let go of his hand and raised her eyebrows. Then, she turned and walked towards the back of the room.

"There is much that is still unknown," She said finally, "Be careful, children."

With those words, she slipped through the door marked 'Private'. After a second or two, music trickled into the room. She was obviously finished with them. Jess's eyes widened as she sat still in her seat. Nick turned to her and scoffed.

"What was that about, right?" Nick said, standing, "Should we ask for our money back or what?"

"That," Jess began, "Was _terrifying_. I would have preferred it if she'd told us we were going to die horrifically tomorrow."

"And what was that about me being caught in a shadow?" Nick said, throwing his arms up, "Was she writing a damn poem or something?"

"I don't know," Jess said quietly, "I should have listened to you, Nick. This was a dumb idea."

"Well, whatever," Nick said as they walked towards the exit, "Hey, listen – Nate will be finished in an hour or so. Why don't we get a drink and then go meet up with him?"

"That sounds good," Jess replied softly as she followed him down the staircase.

…

Nick and Jess stumbled back to the apartment at around 9 PM. They had stopped at a bar and drunk beer while they talked about robots and space and Harry Potter. Then, after a couple of hours bickering about who would be in Gryffindor and who wouldn't and having a competition to see who could find the Worst Song on the Jukebox (a game of their own invention), they tried to get the bartender to make a Jess cocktail. The bar didn't stock the same brand of rum, but Nick pointed out one that would work equally well. Then Nick decided he wanted to shake them up himself and tried to climb over the bar. Then they got kicked out.

On the way back, there was sorcery at play. They passed a cafe and noticed a sign for a Creative Writing group. It was casual, for amateurs and late at night on Wednesdays. They both drunkenly scribbled their name on the sign-up sheet. Nick wrote his name twice. They high fived.

As they entered the apartment gracelessly, Nate stirred.

He had been napping on the couch. It turned out his office hours had been relatively uneventful. There was no big essay due so students were mostly just complaining about lab times. He'd actually ducked out early and picked up cupcakes on his way home, hoping he and Jess could have a romantic afternoon together. The apartment was empty when he'd got back. He'd waited. _Are they still out?_ Nate wondered. He wasn't the jealous type. He was just curious to know what they had gotten up to. They didn't seem to have much in common. Then again, it didn't matter. It was a good thing his brother was getting along with his girlfriend. What could be bad about that?

He checked his phone. No texts. No invitations. He shrugged and picked up his book. He waited. Night fell, and so did he. He couldn't get through the evenings without napping. So here he was. He woke up, confused. There were hushed whispers and giggles coming from the kitchen. He sat up, checked the time. Late. They had been out all day. He flicked the light on.

"Hey guys," Nate said sleepily, "What's up?"

"Did we wake you?" Jess asked. Her voice was thick, husky, intoxicated. "Nick is such a loudmouth."

"No, I mean- I must have drifted off," Nate replied, watching them. They were making sandwiches in the kitchen.

"I'm a loudmouth? What about your shrill giggling, Jess?" Nick said clumsily, "You could wake a herd of cattle, you foghorn."

"Foghorn?" Jess repeated, "You practically fell through the door."

"You just know everything don't you?" Nick said, frowning. He took a bite of his sandwich.

"More than you, Miller," Jess retorted.

"So, did you guys have fun?" Nate asked.

Jess ran up to him and kissed him on the lips. She tasted like rum and cream. She looked at him and her gaze travelled down his face carefully, hungrily.

"We had so much fun, Nate," Jess told him, "We had dessert for lunch and we saw a fortune teller who told us we're both going to die on Tuesday and we went to a bar and the bartender gave us Jess cocktails. Then we got kicked out because Nick is the absolute worst. Oh yeah – we also joined a Creative Writing group. Hey – Nick! Maybe we should start writing _now_. Like, drunk writing? So rock and roll, right?"

"That sounds-" Nate started.

"I can't, Jess," Nick interrupted, putting his head in his hands, "I need to watch Youtube in bed with my sandwich and then sleep for twelve hours and then throw up."

"You lightweight, Nick," Jess said accusingly. She turned to face Nate again and smiled as Nick trudged off to bed.

Nate smiled back.

Nate smiled back, but he knew it when he saw it. He was an expert in such matters, wasn't he?

Nate carried Jess to his bed and waited until she fell asleep before heading to the lounge and attempting to read more of his book. He hoped he was wrong because he wasn't sure what to do if he was right.


End file.
